The Obscure Reading Group discussion
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If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler
If On Winter's Night a Traveler
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June 1-7: Discussion of First Half of "If on a Winter's Night a Traveler"
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Sara
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Jun 02, 2021 11:25AM
I was actually thinking in terms of the two other examples given. Writing a book devoid of "e" might be an exhilarating exercise, but I was wondering if the content of the book was anything beyond the distinction that has been given. I am reserving judgment on If On a Winter's Night until I have finished. It does not seem to me to be as contrived as that, but when I have finished I will have a better idea of whether I think it has lasting impact beyond being able to say it is avant garde. I don't find this actually "unsettles" me, although it is quite unusual. I would love to know what it is about this book that you find "provokes or disturbs" you, Jan.
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Sara wrote: "I was actually thinking in terms of the two other examples given. Writing a book devoid of "e" might be an exhilarating exercise, but I was wondering if the content of the book was anything beyond ..."Hello, Sara,
I have a few minutes before my next meeting, and I couldn't help but sneak into this discussion.
After my first sit-down, I worried about trying to find all the patterns, but then I realized I would lose my delight from the first chapter. I like the image that Ginny posted because it reveals the impression, and that's the focus I took -- Could I see the world narratives as general images? Could I guess at the suitcase's contents? Could I laugh at the next character or surprise? I really enjoy that image and notice details with each viewing: more clocks and watches, borders that don't fully outline a figure. Those visual images parallel the writing for me.
As for the Oulipo writing? In January of 2020 we had snow all over here in Kansas City, and in my newly-formed SPiL group we were to write the constrained prompt using only the lower space letters -- i but not l, n but not h, m but not b, and so on. I found myself creating new or more specific terms -- "a wren in warm snow" stays in my mind. It made for poignant discovery when I considered the little bird. True, we would glean from the original prompt for later writing, and that made for richer writing. Also, I found that I wrote much more than I actually gleaned and revised, but that in itself was valuable.
Do I love this book? Well, not if I read it alone. This is the type of reading I enjoy more with discussion - like your comments and the others here create.
Ah, speaking of the watches and clocks, I now have a meeting to attend. * * * I look forward to reading your discoveries along the way.
With a smile,
Jan
Mod
He struck a chord with me when he mentioned how readers often take the "I" narrator to be the author, often assume authors are writing "what they know," often feel sure that authors are mining experience, memoir-like, even in the fiction form of a novel.
In poetry writing, it is even worse. Poets often use "I" as a "speaker" who is made up, but poetry readers doggedly read it as the poet himself, doggedly assume it to be "confessional poetry" (as it's called).
First-person POV does that.
Mod
I like reading books that experiment with style. For example, in college I enjoyed discussing James Joyce’s Portrait of the Artist and V. Woolf’s To the Lighthouse.
But with all of these, I liked discussing the ideas.
So, I would like to know if any of you have discovered deeper meanings to discuss other than the unusual style and its purpose. I’m trying desperately to latch on to something to contribute (!)
Jan, I like the line “a wren in warm snow.”
My feelings exactly, Sandra.
Mod
Have at it, everyone! I don't do well with deeper meanings.
Mod
With the little bit of Borges I've read, I was flooded with ideas, even though I understood so little, so found that very satisfying. But I'm missing them so far here, except for the first chapter, which was very interesting about the reader and writer, as Ken described.
I get the feeling there is much more about the reader's experience that is being conveyed here that I'm not picking up on.
The one thing that stood out to me, which I believe I included in at least one of my status updates, was the idea of writer or authorial anonymity now or in the future. This seems to be tied into some of the story segments. Is this a comment on the future of literature, or its past, the merit of both. No, it didn’t seem that to me. Rather it was a comment on authorship itself. How it doesn’t survive. Of course this may be totally wiped out in the rest of the book.
Ken wrote: "One note I made from that beguiling first chapter is how well Calvino knew both readers and writers (who are readers -- though readers are only occasionally writers).He struck a chord with me whe..."
Ah, this narrator (looking like Calvino to me) is smitten with Ludmilla. I keep returning to that, especially when he pulls me in as "you" (me -- Jan) and then switches back to himself:
"You are impatient to get in touch with the Other Reader, to ask her if her copy is like yours, and to tell her your conjectures, the information you have gathered. . . . You look in your pocket diary for the number you wrote next to her name when you and she introduced yourselves" (44).
He's willing to go through any adventure - well, any literary adventure - for her.
Sandra wrote: "I like reading books that challenge social conventions. Dangerous books. Books that have been censored. Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 comes to mind. “If they give you ruled paper, write the other way.”..."Hello, Sandra,
I return to some past discussions about how Cervantes and Borges were two of many writers who could not actively defy a repressive government, but they could write satires, parodies, or simply rebel against convention. Do you think that may be the case with Calvino?
Creating new visions of the world but in the eyes of a mad man (Cervantes) is safe. Creating new, imaginary lands (Borges) can be radical without getting the author into trouble. Of course, the rebellion might not be political -- perhaps against social confines of any sort, perhaps against "good writing" and so on.
I've listened intently when these powerful arguments were made and have followed research. I've used various of these strategies and references when teaching, especially Latino/Latina Literature. Though I'll return to this strategy in the future, I'm keeping with the laughter at this point.
I don't know about Calvino's background, but I don't think I'll pursue it too much right now.
I now return to you. What do you think could be a deeper meaning?
Sandra wrote: "I like reading books that challenge social conventions. Dangerous books. Books that have been censored. Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 comes to mind. “If they give you ruled paper, write the other way.”..."Ah, Sandra,
I couldn't help but smile when you wrote about James Joyce and Virginia Woolf. They are wonderful writers. When I first read them in late high school and college, I didn't understand but I genuinely enjoyed the experience. There was something about the writing -- just individual phrases -- that I gleaned (my word today) which made me think I was on the verge of discovering something more. I was content with those first readings and trusted I'd understand more later. Now at 54 I can proudly say I understand them. (gentle smile)
That's the way I am with this book. What I enjoy, I enjoy. What I don't quite understand, I'm open to learning. When will that happen? I don't know quite yet.
I'm glad you liked the phrase "wren in the warm snow" -- It led to a short, wistful piece about a bird who couldn't defend against the storm but found shelter in a long-forgotten buried nest. I'd just about forgotten about that phrase and then the story until this morning's conversation brought them forward. I will try to find that journal, but it may be one that I left on my school desk in March 2020. When I wrote it in January, little did I realize what the next months and year would bring.
Mod
But I love reading other readers’ comments.
Yes, Woolf’s language is beautiful, and the symbols and themes evolve into clarity, at least for me. I wonder if I would appreciate our book more if I could read it in Italian. Perhaps it’s beautiful? Certainly the title promises poetry, but I don’t find poetry in the text.
I would like to read what you wrote about the wren.
I'm seeing it more and more on this read as just a wonderful exercise of style, quite like Raymond Queneau's novel. Each opening is in a different style, perhaps even a different genre, in a way, though all similar too, at once. It reminds me of the questions I get from my parents: "Why do you want to read that! Reading should be fun, not hard!" I always irritate them by saying, "The hard reading makes for fun reading." They don't believe it.
Mod
Sandra wrote: "Jan—To be honest when I got to the chapter about Jojo and his body being dragged all over the place, when I then jumped to the daughter Sibylle and a mention of crocodiles (?) and then was introduc..."Hello, Sandra,
Yes, those passages are like dreams tending toward nightmares, like a painting by Dali in the middle of an art show of bright pieces. Admittedly, I'm not a fan of those points you mentioned, nor am I fond of Dali's darkest works. (His Don Quixote, however, I like. It IS Don Quixote, after all. smile)
As I've been reading, my interpretation casts the narrator of daily life and the narrator exploring in dreams/reading. It's not tidy, I know, but it's my first time "traveling this book".
I saw your other comments, and I'm intrigued by the idea of making fun of texts and critiques. Even the silly-named Professor Uzzi Tuzii seems to be frustrated by his life's work in academics: “This is a dead department of a dead literature in a dead language. Why should they study Cimmerian today? I’m the first to understand, I’m the first to say it: if you don’t want to come, then don’t come; as far as I’m concerned, the department could even be abolished. But to come here only to . . . No, that’s too much” (52).
When I find that piece, I'll share it. Ah, that little wren. . . .
Well, soon it's time for me to sleep.
Sogni d'Oro,
Jan
You know in the end Calvino will say it was all a dream, or the mushrooms will wear off. Haha
Sandra made a good observation that Calvino ‘seems to be making fun of the attempt to analyze texts and the absurdity of authors producing clever texts to be critiqued.’ Calvino is also having a bit of fun laughing at himself. In chapter 2, the narrator goes to the bookseller to inform him of missing pages. He was told “In the distribution of the latest works on our list a part of the edition of the volume If On a winter’s night a traveler by Italo Calvino has proved defective and must be withdrawn from circulation.” And even this book turned out not to be his but that ostensibly of a Polish author. Fun at the reader’s expense, perhaps, and taking a risk. Some will appreciate it; some will be repelled.
Laysee wrote: "Sandra made a good observation that Calvino ‘seems to be making fun of the attempt to analyze texts and the absurdity of authors producing clever texts to be critiqued.’ Calvino is also having a bi..."Good Morning, Laysee, Sandra, and All,
Yes, Calvino includes himself in the absurdity. Does he take himself seriously? I suspect it's a bit of both: Believe in the process enough to write, but do not take yourself (myself) too seriously. Yes, I agree Laysee, we readers may be put in this same place.
Of course, yet another parallel to "Don Quixote" surfaces for me. Chapter VI opens with the local priest determining which of Don Quixote's books to burn. The reasons seem foolish and horrific both, bringing to "light" the hypocrisy and cruelty of the Inquisition.
Two of Miguel de Cervantes' books are mentioned by name along with the author. 1) One book is saved because Cervantes' co-author has such a wonderful reading style: ". . .when he recites verses they amaze anyone who hears them, and the delicacy of his voice when he sings them is enchanting." Though we're happy the book isn't burned, it's suggested that this is a silly reason for saving a book when so many others are burnt indiscriminately or specifically for ethical stances. 2) The second book is revealed by this comment:
"But what’s that book next to it?” "La Galatea, by Miguel de Cervantes," said the barber. “This Cervantes . . . is better versed in misfortunes than in verses. . . . (K)eep it locked away in your house, my friend” (52-53).
Each book is "saved" but neither is allowed to be read - so is it really saved?
Sandra wrote: "Jan—To be honest when I got to the chapter about Jojo and his body being dragged all over the place, when I then jumped to the daughter Sibylle and a mention of crocodiles (?) and then was introduc..."Good Morning,
I have been learning more about the digital books' ins and outs as well as the technology here on Good Reads; I hope these come through for you.
All these comments about not seeing the logic remind me of Don Quixote (of course -- that's me). I liken Cervantes' and Calvino's shared self-revealing humility -- perhaps mischief? trickery?-- with this comment Don Quixote's priest told his barber when they were burning books. The priest is considering a book written solely by Miguel de Cervantes, one that follows a similar pattern to "Don Quixote" with its two volumes. I laugh thinking of this musing:
"His book has a certain creativity; it proposes something and concludes nothing. We have to wait for the second part he has promised; perhaps with that addition, it will achieve the mercy denied to it now. . . ." (53).
* * * Increasingly, I'm certain that Italo Calvino was well-versed in Cervantes' works, and I imagine him being able to read them in multiple languages. Ah, I'm a bit envious but more admiring as I give him a nod. (smile)
Carol wrote: "You know in the end Calvino will say it was all a dream, or the mushrooms will wear off. Haha""While we are asleep in this world, we are awake in another one."
&
"The mind was dreaming. The world was its dream."
-- both from Jorge Luis Borges
Carol wrote: "You know in the end Calvino will say it was all a dream, or the mushrooms will wear off. Haha"Yes!
Sandra wrote: "Yes, but I did have the thought that perhaps he is writing this as a satire of literary criticism? “There are letters that promise further explanations, which instead are found in pages dated a wee..."Hello, Sandra,
With a nod to Ginny's posting the woodcut image, I've been thinking about corresponding images. Of course, none are perfect matches, but they are enriching for me as reader. . . . Ah, I tried to find both the disturbing images and also a few which delight me. I couldn't quite figure out the ways to post the images.
Home errands and then continued work from home now call me, so I need to leave now.
Though I couldn't figure out how to post the images, I could find this reference to Dali's Don Quijote and the corresponding dreams, delusions, and disillusions. I've found myself reading this whole novel anew, now one of my summer projects. https://www.brainpickings.org/2013/10...
All My Best,
Jan
Jan wrote: "Lois wrote: "I'm finding the same, Sue, particularly being only halfway through. I wonder if we'll have a clearer idea at the end? So far I'm loving being thrown into all these different worlds, ev..."I don't think I could possibly begin to guess what was truly in the suitcases! But then I love ambiguity in novels, and find the not knowing more thrilling than if we were to find out. It must have been something fairly incendiary at the least! I'm thinking, too, that Calvino will end the novel on a similar note, rather than come anywhere close to wrapping things up, but we shall see! As for Borges, I've been meaning to read him for a while as my boyfriend is a fan. I love the sound of his work so will make it my mission to have read some of his oeuvre by the end of the year!
Lois wrote: "Jan wrote: "Lois wrote: "I'm finding the same, Sue, particularly being only halfway through. I wonder if we'll have a clearer idea at the end? So far I'm loving being thrown into all these differen..."Hello, Lois,
I have purchased some Borges to review again. When I read him, I enjoy him bit by bit - not all at once. That's been my preference with shorter works by Rosario Castellano and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, too, as I read their translated works. I want to try to find the Borges story in which he converses with himself on a park bench; I vaguely remember the details, but I clearly remember my initial "aha!" when reading it.
Hmm, that suitcase. I keep wondering about it, too. Is it possible nothing is inside, but we get to decide? (Fights may follow after, I know . . . . )
What about this? The suitcase carries mundane daily ideas, his journals, notes, to-do lists, and doodlings. In "Leaning from a Steep Slope" (with consecutive days of the week), he references Miss Zwida's seashell illustrations, Mr. Kauderer's ledger, reference to his diary, a pencil box, and many other ordinary creative tools. These are mundane, but I looked up "grapnel" and "hawser" and learned that these are used on boats going onto the open waters. Another reference to grapnel dealt with Batman. Those are far more exciting than most of the tools the narrator writes about. He gives the "other" the more exciting tools and carries his less thrilling materials in his suitcase.
Hmm. . . maybe Italo Calvino was sitting at a make-shift desk that didn't have nearby shelves and storage space in his little living room because he had to improvise when he set it up. Maybe he had made a vow to write every day no matter what but fell behind by many, many, many months because newer tasks piled atop each other. Maybe then he committed to write about whatever was right in front of him: a temperature gauge, pens, colored pencils, books he wanted to read that kept piling up, on and on -- Wait! I'm writing about 2020 - 2021! Never mind. . . . (smile) I just looked into my school bag (serving as my metaphorical suitcase) to find notebooks, a stapler, some small books on writing, a textbook, far too many pens, paper clips, a few whiteboard markers that I haven't used for over a year, not one but two calendars, post-it note pads, and a blood pressure monitor. Yep -- it's all very, very mundane (well, except for the monitor which is a bit terrifying, I suppose).
With an audible sigh, I now need to return to preparations for online summer school. I'm going to imagine Italo Calvino writing daily by imagining "what if?" and using the materials right in front of him. That will keep me going. Or it might become depressing. I'm hoping for the former.
With a smile,
Jan
Mod
OMG I just spent a long time catching up on all these comments above and composing a contribution, but then when I hit "post" I got a bunch of gobbledygook computer code on a pink screen and a GoodReads error message -- and what I'd written vanished completely. Dismaying. No time now to try to recapture it all. I wrote something in response to someone's comment about what's fictional versus what's real, my process of analyzing potential nominations for this group leading to my suggesting this one, and then also naming David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas as another one to compare. (I found this comment about Cloud Atlas from someone in Reddit, by the way: "This book is like no other. It's not sequential, and the language is hard to follow, but it was one of the best reads of my life. I believe it's worth sticking with. It was inspired by Calvino's If on a winter's night a traveller which is well worth reading.) So, huh, that's interesting, eh?
I am far behind where I should have been by now with this book and will do my best to catch up. It's a lot of work to read this book! Am grateful for all your perceptive commentary.
Hoping now that this comment too won't vanish when I hit "post." No idea why my previous attempt went kaflooey.
Matthew wrote: " I certainly wouldn't be reading today if novels were only being written as they were in 19thC. ..."Most of my reading time these days is with novels written in the 19th Century, and I believe I am seeing many echos of Dickens in this novel. Take Chapter Five. In the publishing house. Check out CHAPTER 10. Containing the whole Science of Government in Little Dorrit. If you like Calvino, you must like Dickens.
This, from the TV series:
https://youtu.be/Z7TgriNKWrQ
Mod
I do the same thing -- type my responses AND reviews in GR boxes when I should type them either in Word or in Google docs. It's asking for trouble typing them here, and you know how polite GR can be when you ask nicely.
I liked Cloud Atlas MUCH more than this book, or at least than this book at the halfway mark, as the CA stories were much more sustained than these are.
Ginny wrote: "Matthew wrote: " I certainly wouldn't be reading today if novels were only being written as they were in 19thC. ..."Most of my reading time these days is with novels written in the 19th Century, ..."
Hello, Ginny,
Yes, I just watched the video and see so many parallels. I'm not familiar with the story, so I'll comment on what I saw play out. The elder who is speaking vaguely assumes his office as important and dismissing the general public. He is picky about the young man's language ("assumptions") yet doesn't make a great deal of sense himself. It's telling that the staging has him elevated, revealing how he had prominence simply because of the position (not his wits).
The part when he is giving orders to seek out the next office (is that the Office of Circumlocution?) reminds me of the section in the Chapter when the narrator and Ludmilla become aware that they are in a futile circle: "Here we go again. The minute you think you’re on the right track, you promptly find yourself blocked by a switch. . . ." (92). The problem becomes even larger when the many writers have to take sides: making books or reading them (93), and ultimately many hopeful writers just shuffled through the big factory-like sytem. Mr. Cavadegna (who seems to be like the official man in the video) is given the task of sorting everyone out, but we realize it just hopeless for those poor souls because he listens, seems distracted, and then disappears.
At first, I thought the title for the video was a joke, but it's obviously part of the story. No, I haven't read this book but have added it to my "Want To Read" list. When I was much younger, I loved reading Dickens for the outright storytelling; everything moved so fast, and each character was so richly detailed. Returning to those books now, I'm touched by the nuances of the stories because of what I now understand about history. I found the scene intriguing, and I think I'll suggest to Steve that we get the series (his preference). I'll drive him crazy as I inform him about how it's similar or different from the book.
Ginny wrote: "Matthew wrote: " I certainly wouldn't be reading today if novels were only being written as they were in 19thC. ..."Most of my reading time these days is with novels written in the 19th Century, ..."
I do like Dickens (though I haven't read LD). I'm actually very fond of 19thC novels, my comment was said (mostly) facetiously. The point was really that novels have evolved and I am very glad of it. I could read those old Russian tomes forever though, probably. I think Ken mentioned War and Peace at some point. I second whatever positive sentiment he expressed towards it/Tolstoy.
Hello everyone! Like Yvonne, I have been catching up with all your comments and now I think that I have gauged enough of the novel’s sentiments to make a somewhat substantial comment. I will admit I found Calvino’s motives in writing this novel somewhat obscure, but I now think that perhaps he is commenting on the falsity of the novel as a medium. Typically a story has a beginning, middle, and end but the shift of focus from story to story highlights the idea that the lives of these characters extend beyond the confines of their 300 or so pages. Almost satirically Calvino leaves us without closure just as we reach the point of intrigue and I believe that he is mimicking the act of dipping in and out of various books to prove to us that we are really only seeing a snippet of this character’s life.
The best way I can think to describe it is like watching a film and then for the next few days being consumed with questions of what happened to those characters next? What will they do now? A character’s story does and does not end with the finishing of a book, it continues interminably whilst also stopping at the point you leave it, almost like Schrödinger’s cat. But instead it’s Schrödinger’s novel and whilst the book is sat before you physically closed, the story is both at its end and it’s start.
Leanne wrote: "Hello everyone! Like Yvonne, I have been catching up with all your comments and now I think that I have gauged enough of the novel’s sentiments to make a somewhat substantial comment. I will admit ..."Good Morning, Leanne,
First, I just read different comments to my husband. He very much enjoyed the observation in your last paragraph:
"The best way I can think to describe it is like watching a film and then for the next few days being consumed with questions of what happened to those characters next? What will they do now? A character’s story does and does not end with the finishing of a book, it continues interminably whilst also stopping at the point you leave it, almost like Schrödinger’s cat. But instead it’s Schrödinger’s novel and whilst the book is sat before you physically closed, the story is both at its end and it’s start."
I agree with your earlier comments about Calvino's approach to literature, especially the novels. Immediately, I thought about Miguel de Cervantes' parody of the medieval novels of heroism.But that's me, realizing my favorite book is currently at every turn of my life.
I came back to your post to think about Calvino's context. I ended up reading just a bit about Calvino's life last night. (Online "Encyclopaedia Britannica" - I welcome other's research or suggested readings.) He was born in Cuba during 1923, and his parents moved his family to Italy when he was young. As a young man, Calvino actively fought against Italian fascism in WWII. He later worked in a Communist newspaper and then a Left-Wing newspaper. On and on, there were so many basic, objective details that I found that made this man such an intriguing character himself, but then his whole life was far more than a literary character. Even now, his daughter is active in different ways; is she paying a tribute to her father or voicing similar convictions? I don't know; I need to learn more.
This is what I then took from your comment and my newly learned information about Italo Calvino. He would be one to critique or outright call out blind conformity or censorship. Maybe he would be one to call out complacency, too, which can lead to the two earlier social-literary reactions many readers can take. Even in this small group, we have different reactions to this book. In that case and perhaps in our case, yes, Calvino might be challenging what's "acceptable" about literature and our accepted novels. * * * Honestly, it is now 2021, and this ongoing conversation and these new lessons are sparking quite a bit in me. Different challenges are part of my teaching during this time of ongoing debates about censorship, rejecting studies in Critical Race Theory, cut funds for numerous "alternative" courses, on and on. It's exhausting and disheartening in far too many ways. * * * Yes, I honestly hope Calvino was challenging the status quo in regards to novels but also in terms of social complacency overall.
In a pivot now, "Encyclopedia Britannica" reported that in "If On A Winter's Night" Calvino was exploring "the nature of chance, coincidence, and change." What do we do with the twists in life?
I think about our narrator and his many torn-out chapters of different books. Well, that allows me to return to a bit more of the laughter. While the other realizations are now adding layers to my experience of this book, I'll keep returning to the humor.
Mod
Most of my reading time these days is with novels written in the ..."
Tolstoy and Twain -- different as they are -- happen to be my beau ideals as writers I could read forever, though in both cases there are certain books I'd pass on. That said, the ones I could read over and over are W&P (esp. Pierre and Natasha), AK (esp. Levin), and HF (esp. Huck).
Mod
Yes, Leanne, it is similar to dipping in and out of a movie or book. You walk into a room and see 10 mins of a movie on the TV, then have to leave. You re-enter hours later and see 10 mins. of a completely different movie.
Now take the same effect with a book like this. Brief chapters to entice and tantalize, but like Tantalus, we are denied when we bend our head to sip water or extend it to eat grapes.
You feel manipulated. You never get into what John Gardner called "the vivid and continuous dream" that makes good literature what it is. It's the "continuous" part that's missing -- the part that makes you forget you're in a movie theater at a good movie or have no idea of your surroundings when reading a good book.
Mod
Brilliant! That is it exactly. Thank you, Ken (and John Gardner).
And I did find Leanne's point very interesting that Calvino is doing this on purpose to make a point about the reader's limited view of the life of a character.
And I see Jan's comparison with Don Quixote, but the difference is Don Quixote also provided me Gardner's "vivid and continuous dream."
Yvonne wrote: "OMG I just spent a long time catching up on all these comments above and composing a contribution, but then when I hit "post" I got a bunch of gobbledygook computer code on a pink screen and a Good..."Ah, Yvonne,
That process of writing isn't lost, however, and maybe Calvino had much more that never made it to the book. That would actually be fitting for this particular book, I suppose. What I'd enjoy "hearing" from you are your favorite parts or connections you make. I've added "Cloud Atlas" by David Mitchell to my "Want To Read" list, and I'd love to read more of your connections before I read it. The description alone caught my attention with the writers mentioned in it.
I'd also like to learn more about your process for nominating books; I've nominated books that I later realized I had already read OR someone's nominations for the previous discussions. No wonder I thought they'd be good for this group. (smile) Oh well. . . .
Another view on losing the "writing" or the "art"? I'll send you an article in messages because I am aware of much of your personal work and community-building.
I'm looking forward to reading more of your posts! I'll keep an eye out for those.
Jan
Mod
I agree with Sandra, Ken, and think I have sadly neglected Gardner. Another writer who is already on my kindle waiting to be approached.
Re Dickens and various other Classics. Someone may have already pointed this out, but Calvino has a whole book. Why Read the Classics? He focuses on Our Mutual Friend, which I couldn't get into because of the initial vagaries. Like Calvino.
It's a fabulous collection of essays. I highly recommend them. I'm yet to read Our Mutual Friend though.
Mod
Ginny wrote: "Re Dickens and various other Classics. Someone may have already pointed this out, but Calvino has a whole book. Why Read the Classics? He focuses on Our Mutual Friend, whic..."Thank you! I've added these to my reading list.
The way my reading has progressed, or rather not progressed, not sure I can finish by Tuesday. So I may stay away for a while till I’m ready to see the ending discussed.
My reading has progressed but very slowly and I am in the same boat. I may stay away next week until I am done. My biggest problem is that I am finding the other book I am reading so much better, which, I think, tells you something about my feelings about our current obscure book.
Mod
So I forced myself to the couch with Calvino to read the second half of the book. I did not let myself get up except for a homemade smoothie (the ingredients were calling my name... and how do all these things know my name?).
In a few hours I had done it. Finished June's Obscurity. Reviewed it obscurely. Rewarded myself with a new book, which I have already finished, which means I get yet another new book, which I have started.
Like a seal performing for fish (calling my name). That's me.
I may be in the minority, but I love this book! I’m not sure why, but I just feel like Calvino is taking me, the reader, on a delightful romp, and I’m already planning to go back and annotate my book more thoroughly.
Ah, well done Ken. I guess the Mod has to see it through. It’s a DNF from me and happily returned to the library.
I do intend to finish this book and do like parts of it quite a bit but my weekend was my first busy one for a year and a half and I seem to be playing catch up with lots of books at once. This is one book I can’t hurry.
Mod
Cindy wrote: "I may be in the minority, but I love this book! I’m not sure why, but I just feel like Calvino is taking me, the reader, on a delightful romp, and I’m already planning to go back and annotate my bo..."Good Morning, Cindy,
I'm with you on this. The parts which I loved absolutely delighted me. The parts which I liked I found intriguing. Best of all for me, I've discovered a new writer whom I'll read with enthusiasm. I'll be writing more later.
Ken, your references to snacks made me laugh! Such fun insight to your reading world for the day!
The Obscure Reading Group
Books mentioned in this topic
Why Read the Classics? (other topics)Our Mutual Friend (other topics)
Why Read the Classics? (other topics)
Our Mutual Friend (other topics)
Little Dorrit (other topics)
